Paris Goes To War

War came Paris, Texas on December 7, 1941. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent declarations of war of the Axis countries of Japan, Germany and Italy against The United States brought World War II literally to the doorsteps of Paris.

The U.S. response to war hit Paris like a tidal wave and the results were everlasting.

This small East Texas town responded as hundreds of small towns across America did. Its sons, daughters and citizens joined the war effort.

But Paris began to develop its own uniqueness with the opening of Camp Maxey just a few miles north of the city limits in 1942. Two major divisions, the 102d Infantry Division and the 99th Infantry Division, trained there. It is estimated that over 200,000 troops and civilians trained and worked at Camp Maxey during its short 4 years of existance.

Camp Maxey was also selected as a site, as were many other training camp sites in Texas, to house German prisoners-of-war. More than 6,000 Germans were hosted there until well after the last shots of anger were fired in Europe in 1945.

Paris, as was the whole country, was like a stirred pot. The young men and women who came to Camp Maxey to train spent their leaves in town. Many of them met, courted, and married local men and women. Likewise, Paris sons and daughters who left were meeting their future spouses. The long historic ties that had held Paris together as a tight community were stretched around the world.

To and from Paris the letters streamed in and out from friends and families: from the battle fronts, from far-away hometowns, from Washington D.C., to Europe, to The Pacific and literally all points of the globe.

Sad news of soldiers being killed, exciting news of the birth of a new baby, common news about town gossip all swirlled around this small town of Paris. Paris was making its contribution to march the country toward victory.

In 1941 Paris Goes To War.


How To Add A Story & Pictures To Paris Goes To War

If you have stories, pictures or items of interest to contribute to these web pages, please email them to steelyfamilias@yahoo.com. You can send written articles in doc or pdf formats and pictures are preferred in jpg format. Contributions will be posted according the their relevance to Paris, Lamar County, Camp Maxey and World War II. All contributions may be used on these blog web pages as well as any future publications that may appear on the subject.

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Ray Stratford 
102d Infantry Division, 405 Regiment, C Company
February 26, 1925 - December 29, 2017

ISLAND PARK, ID – Ray Paul Stratford, 92, passed away at home surrounded by family on December 29, 2017, following a courageous battle with cancer. Ray was born in Pocatello, Idaho on February 26, 1925, the second child of Rae Percy and Olive Jenson Stratford. He was preceded in death by his parents, older sister Lora Stratford Williamson and younger brother Lowell J Stratford, and two grandchildren.

Ray grew up in Pocatello, spent summers on the Buffalo River in Island Park, earned his Eagle Scout award, and graduated from Pocatello High School in 1943. Ray briefly attended Idaho State College, before joining fellow members of “The Greatest Generation” to serve in World War II in the U.S. Army. He saw action in the European Theater, serving with the 102nd Infantry Division, 405th Regiment, C Company as they participated in the Allied offensive moving from the Netherlands to the Rhine in Germany, earning the Combat Infantry Badge and Bronze Star.

Ray attended Stanford University where he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. He received a professional engineers license from New York State and went to work for General Electric in Schenectady. Ray became a fellow of IEEE authoring over 40 technical papers and a college textbook. In 1994, he received the IEEE outstanding achievement award. He was known around the world for his contributions to Harmonics in Electrical Power Systems. Following his retirement from GE in 1985, Ray worked for Power Technologies Inc. and taught at both Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York and The University of Texas at Austin. Ray was a recipient of the Strathmore’s Who’s Who in 2000. Ray has been a part of Rotary since 1955.

While at Stanford, Ray met and married his first wife, Claire Dennery on September 9, 1949. He earned a BS in Electrical Engineering in 1950. Ray and Claire had three children, Bruce (Nancy Hadfield), Trumbull, CT; Jim (Donna Christian), Melbourne, FL; and Suzanne (Chuck Parkinson), Rapid City, SD; raising them in Scotia, New York. After 20 years of marriage, Ray and Claire chose to take their lives in different, but very positive directions.

In 1973, Ray met Nancy Long, the woman who would become his life-long companion. He embraced her three children as his own: Deborah Arieda McFadden (Jack), Wilton, CT; David Arieda (Elizabeth McCormick), Fort Edward, NY; and Heather Stratford-Geibel (Bill), Spokane, WA. They were married in Schenectady, New York on April 24, 1974 and had their union sealed on August 7, 1975 in the Idaho Falls Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Finally retiring to Island Park Idaho in 1990, he and Nancy built a log cabin on the Buffalo River next to the cabin he enjoyed as a child. He became active in the community and was on the Idaho GEM committee, the Island Park Historical Society board and Chairman of the Island Park Planning and Zoning Board. In 2000, he received the Island Park Man of the Year Award. Ray and Nancy, active in the LDS Church, served a mission in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission and also worked in the South Africa Temple from 1996-1998.

Ray loved building projects and built cabins both in Island Park and in New York on Lake George. He passed that knowledge and love of building along to his children. He valued family, learning and service. The world is a better place because of Ray and the people he touched. He will be missed and remembered by many.

Ray is survived by his wife, Nancy, children: Bruce, Jim, Suzanne, Deborah, David, and Heather. He is also survived by 22 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews living around the world.


Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 4, 2018, the Island Park Ward, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at 4120 N. Big Springs Loop Road, Island Park, Idaho. The family will receive friends Thursday from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. at the church prior to services. Interment will be in the Mt. View Cemetery in Pocatello under the direction of Baxter Funeral Home.
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